Tag Archives: Citi Field

Mets GM Sandy Alderson said if all the signs are aligned, then yes, Amed Rosario could be brought up if shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is placed on the disabled list with a thumb injury. Already slowed by hamstring and knee problems, Cabrera seemingly jammed his left thumb attempting to make a diving stop in the third inning of tonight’s 11-3 Mets’ rout of Miami at Citi Field.

CABRERA: Thumb injury shelves shortstop. (NY Daily News)

Alderson said X-Rays were negative and Cabrera will have an MRI Sunday.

Previously, Alderson said he didn’t want to elevate Rosario this early to maintain the leverage of keeping him away from arbitration and free agency for another year. However, Alderson insisted the Mets’ immediate on-field issues take precedent.

“If we have a need at this point in the season, would we consider it? Yes,” Alderson told SNY during a rain delay.

Rosario, the Mets’ highest-rated position player prospect, is hitting .381 with a .927 OPS at Triple-A Las Vegas. A downside of bringing up Rosario now, is that if Cabrera is able to play relatively soon, what would happen to the prospect? Certainly, they won’t sit Jose Reyes, who is sizzling, and they don’t want Rosario to sit in the majors.

“It is nice to be put in a situation where there are expectations,” manager Terry Collins told reporters of a possible promotion. “If he comes up here, he’ll need to play.”

Of course, with Cabrera out, it would enable Reyes – who isn’t thrilled at third base – to move back to shortstop and play Wilmer Flores at third base. Collins said that is the immediate plan without Rosario.

The Mets toyed with the idea of switching Cabrera and Reyes, but the former wasn’t agreeable to the idea.

While I am anxious to see Rosario like everybody else, knowing how the Mets to things, they won’t bring him up now, especially when they have options.

Today’s question is obvious, will we get the Montero whom the Mets were so high on, or will we get the version that last year fell out of favor because he couldn’t find the strike zone?

At one time Montero was a highly regarded pitching prospect, perhaps on a level just below Jacob deGrom, but was always held back by his command. In three starts last season, Montero pitched 11 innings and compiled 14 walks and a 7.36 ERA.

Montero isn’t doing much better this year, with eight walks in 6.2 innings, all of them in relief. He’s also given up eight runs (9.45 ERA).

The Mets don’t have any options other than Montero until Seth Lugo or Steven Matz are eligible to come off the disable list in the next month or so.

The Mets start Jacob deGrom tonight in what arguably could be call one of the five most important starts of his career. Raw, but promising Zack Wheeler goes Saturday and Sunday is up in the air. In anticipation of putting Syndergaard on the disabled list, the Mets recalled lefty Sean Gilmartin today.

Without the long ball, the Mets’ chances to win get longer. Twice during their losing stretch, manager Terry Collins said they needed to manufacture runs.

That lack of situational hitting has been a staple during GM Sandy Alderson’s tenure.

Alderson wanted to bury Michael Conforto on the bench, but he’s been forced to play because of injuries and the overall ineptness of the offense.

He’ll leadoff tonight. He’s a line drive hitter with decent speed, but don’t look for him to steal a game on the bases.

Conventional wisdom dictates with a hamstring injury you take the estimated return date and add four or five days, perhaps a week if the player has a history of that kind of injury, like the Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes. After last night’s rainout, I wrote – as did several others – that an extra day could help Cespedes.

CESPEDES: Is he being pushed? (AP)

That begs the question: If the Mets are thinking one extra day would help Cespedes, is that really enough?

I’m thinking no, but then again, you probably figured that out. After last year’s fiasco with his quad, where he was basically a no-show for much of July, and manager Terry Collins acknowledging Cespedes’ body type makes his susceptible to muscle pulls, what’s the rush? Couple that with the weather supposed to be cool with a chance or rain tonight, it seems an unnecessary risk.

Citi Field drains well, so there shouldn’t be swamp-like conditions, but the field could be slick. I like a healthy Cespedes in the lineup, but I’m don’t think that’s the case. I believe the Mets, considering Cespedes’ injury history, could be pushing it. With there being a 10-day disabled list, I believe the Mets are pushing the envelope.

I believe the Mets, considering Cespedes’ injury history, could be pushing it. With there being a 10-day disabled list, I believe the Mets should have taken that option.

I would rather Cespedes sit a few more games, perhaps be ready this weekend for Washington, than have him out a month or more. It’s a long season and a few more days won’t hurt.

It has hit the fan early for the Mets early. Long stretches of dismal hitting coupled with a myriad of injuries took the starch out of the Mets’ pitching and nearly derailed their season in each of the last two years.

This time, it’s happening in April. It’s too soon to panic, but not too early to notice things aren’t right for the Mets.

After losing 4-3 in 11 innings Friday and 3-1 today, manager Terry Collins said the Mets are faced with a must-win game Sunday night with Max Scherzer going against Zack Wheeler – he of an innings limit – at Citi Field.

“It’s huge,” Collins said of the magnitude of the game. “We haven’t played well. We have pitched well, but we haven’t hit.”

The Mets are hitting .178 and averaging less than three runs a game over their last eight games. Overall, they have scored three or fewer runs in eight of their 18 games, and for those counting, the trade deadline is three months away.

Then, Collins said something I never thought I’d ever hear him say.

“We have to get away from the home runs,” said Collins. “We have to put some hits together.”

They only had two singles today, both coming in the sixth.

Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores are on the disabled list and Yoenis Cespedes might soon join them; Travis d’Arnaud also didn’t play today; eight Mets are hitting .200 or less; one of them is Jose Reyes, who didn’t start, and not coincidentally, top infield prospect Amed Rosario was moved to third base at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Collins said Michael Conforto will hit leadoff and hinted at another change for Sunday.

“We’re not hitting,” Collins said. “Our pitching has kept us in games, but we’re not giving them any help.”

Today’s non-beneficiary was deGrom, who registered double-digit strikeouts for his second straight start and walked six. DeGrom was scheduled to start Friday but was pushed back because of a stiff neck. He said his neck was all right, but his velocity dropped four mph., after the first inning.

“I just don’t walk six guys,” deGrom said. “I had command early, but I didn’t have it late. I don’t know what happened.”

And, he didn’t have Cespedes or Duda or Flores or d’Arnaud to pick him up.

“Anytime you don’t have those guys in the lineup it’s going to be tough, but we can’t use that as an excuse,” said Jay Bruce. “There’s no panic with us. It hasn’t been a lot of fun lately. We’re not winning, but there will be winning for us.”